Cafero to announce retirement from state legislature Wednesday

Updated 4:16 p.m. Tuesday. Updated 3 a.m. Wednesday with additional confirmation, other information.

NORWALK, Conn. – State Rep. Larry Cafero (R-142) is poised to announce his retirement from the state legislature Wednesday, according to a Hartford political blog.

The blog says the state  House Minority Leader will announce his intention not to run for re-election Wednesday. Another source called the announcement the worst-kept secret in Hartford. It’s all over the statehouse, she said.

The New Haven Register reported Cafero’s intention to step down at the same time NoN first posted the report at 2:36 p.m. Tuesday. The Register attributed its story to a Republican Party source.

Norwalk Republican Town Committee Chairman Peter Torrano told NoN he was not aware of Cafero’s decision Tuesday afternoon. A spokesman in Cafero’s office would not confirm or deny the story when contacted by NancyOnNorwalk at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Cafero confirmed the story to The Hour in a story posted early Wednesday.

A lifelong resident of Norwalk, Cafero served on the Board of Education for six years, resigning when he was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1992. He has served for the past 22 years. He was elected House minority leader in 2007.

Cafero’s political fortunes took a downturn in this, his 11th term, when he was taped last year by the FBI as an FBI informant put $5,000 in cash in Cafero’s office refrigerator. Cafero told him he could not accept it and had an aide explain the proper way to donate money. Cafero was never charged and vigorously denied any wrongdoing.

In addition, longtime Republican chief of staff George Gallo resigned last month in advance of federal subpoenas for text messages , emails, contracts, and other correspondences as they scrutinize the relationship between top Republican staffers and two direct mail companies, CTNewsJunkie reports.

So far, the lone candidate for Cafero’s seat is Democrat Andy Garfunkel, who announced his intention to run several weeks ago.